Executive Director of Surgical Services
About The Position
MU Health Care is seeking a transformational leader to guide one of the largest and most complex surgical enterprises in the region. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Executive Director of Surgical Services will provide strategic and operational leadership across a growing perioperative platform that includes 58 operating rooms, more than 35,000 annual surgical cases, four GI locations, sterile processing operations, and nearly 500 team members across multiple campuses. As the region's only academic health system, Level I Trauma Center, and safety-net hospital, MU Health Care offers a rare opportunity to lead at scale while helping define the future of surgical care for patients across central Missouri and beyond. This is not a role focused on maintaining the status quo. We are looking for an innovative executive who can drive growth, optimize surgical capacity, strengthen physician partnerships, modernize operations, and leverage emerging technologies to improve patient access and outcomes. With planned operating room expansion, significant investment in perioperative technology, and continued opportunities for regional growth, this leader will play a critical role in shaping how surgical services evolve across our health system. If you are energized by complexity, inspired by innovation, and motivated by building what comes next, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on a nationally respected academic healthcare organization.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in a related field.
- Ten (10) years related progressive leadership experience.
Nice To Haves
- Experience leading enterprise surgical or perioperative services across multiple hospitals.
- Experience with strategic growth planning, physician alignment, capital planning, and large-scale healthcare operations.
- Additional license/certification requirements as determined by the hiring department.
Responsibilities
- Defines and executes enterprise strategies for surgical and perioperative services that support organizational growth, access, quality, workforce, and financial objectives.
- Directs system-wide perioperative operations and governance structures to ensure consistent standards, policies, and performance across all hospitals and surgical locations.
- Establishes enterprise surgical service line priorities, growth plans, capacity strategies, workforce initiatives, and operational standards.
- Leads senior directors, directors, and surgical service leaders in achieving operational excellence and strategic goals.
- Directs capital planning activities, evaluates investment opportunities, and prioritizes resources to support surgical growth, facility expansion, and technology advancement.
- Oversees enterprise quality, patient safety, accreditation, compliance, and risk management programs related to surgical services.
- Collaborates with executive leadership, physician leaders, department chairs, anesthesia leadership, and interdisciplinary stakeholders to advance surgical services and patient outcomes.
- Establishes enterprise perioperative governance structures and chairs system-wide councils responsible for surgical operations and performance.
- Develops and implements surgical throughput strategies that optimize operating room utilization, capacity management, scheduling effectiveness, and patient access.
- Develops and maintains strategic partnerships with physician groups, academic organizations, industry partners, and external stakeholders.
- Monitors enterprise performance metrics and directs corrective actions that improve quality, efficiency, financial performance, and patient satisfaction.
- Establishes organizational policies, standards, and care delivery models that support system-wide consistency and clinical excellence.
- Develops leadership succession plans and promotes leadership development throughout the perioperative organization.
- Defines and executes system-wide strategies to advance the mission, health equity, and patient-centered care.
- Leads multi-campus operations with alignment across clinical, academic, and administrative domains to ensure cohesive execution.
- Oversees complex budgets and regulatory structures, aligning finances with population health goals and building key external partnerships.
- May complete unit/department-specific duties as outlined in department documents.
Benefits
- Health, vision and dental insurance coverage starting day one
- Generous paid leave and paid time off, including ten holidays
- Multiple retirement options, including 100% matching up to 8% and full vesting in three years
- Tuition assistance for employees (75%) and immediate family members (50%)
- Discounts on cell phone plans, rental cars, gyms, hotels and more
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
